Do yourself a favor and buy yourself a pair of Yaktrax. They're not perfect, but they do work damn well. Peace Corps gives every single volunteer a pair (the company actually donates them, which is phenomenally cool of them), and most of us never take them off during the winter. While they will screw up the ergonomics of your shoes, they're invaluable for running in the snow and ice. I have no idea how expensive they are, but you'll be much happier when you have them and can run outside.

Also, like Flex89 (hi Logan), I grew up in Idaho, and I ran all the time during the winter, regardless of the bitterly cold air. It's not going to hurt you.

I am currently trying to relocate up north (preferably Chicago or NY). At this point, I want to get at least a little winter up there before spring comes. It has always been my favorite season. You are lucky my friend.

I run regularly during the winter season here in Boston. On very cold days I do wear my snowboard facemask but generally I do not. I don't wear any different running shoes during the winter although I wear two pairs of running socks. (I have no idea how supportive Yaktrax is for running. My gut feeling is that it's not made for running.)

I generally run around the Charles River here which the city keeps mostly plowed. (Mostly.) On ice, I just go slower. Wearing the proper clothing during winter runs is important. It's not expensive. I wear: a underarmor long sleeve underneath a long sleeve running shirt, long running pants, a windbreaker jacket or a heavier pullover jacket on really cold days and a running cap which covers my ears. I do wear normal pair of medium gloves because my hand get cold pretty fast. Most running gloves seem too light for real winter runs.

It can be a little challenging running in the winter. But I can't stand treadmills so I don't have any choice.

Thanks everyone this actually helped a lot. Ya i was thinking about buying some running gloves but i keep reading that its bad for you to run in gloves even in the snow, but i did it the other day and i felt like my hands were going to fall off.

You should get gloves to help with the frostbite, at least thats what i use (pa here) I have gloves i got from Eastern Mountain sports i used to use in band... yea i know band geek! they are base layer gloves thin black gloves kept warm and the wind away but it would allow my hands to breathe

Stephen415 saidJust moved from San Francisco to Chicago, and i love running. But Im the biggest klutz in the world, how do you run when the world outside is full of ice and snow?

I lived a total of 11 years near the Canadian border, where temps were often -30 degrees F. I jogged a great deal then, and learned the following:

Ice & snow are always treacherous, even with cleats. Your rubber soles harden with the cold and lose their grippiness, making bad falls a hazard. I once smashed my eyeglasses into my face, took years for the scars to fade.

Extreme cold air does burn your trachea, at least mine. And exposed skin must be covered to avoid frostbite. You can wear lighter clothes while running, because of the body heat you're generating, but don't expose bare skin, and wear gloves and ear protection.

Your head loses a great amount of heat. Cover it when below freezing. Helps your sinuses to wear a knit cap low on your forehead.

Consider an indoor running track during the winter, and avoid all these issues. That's what I did on the worst days, and I think it gave me a better run, anyway. Except that I had to change running direction where that was permitted on alternate days, even on banked tracks, or else I started having knee problems.